It’s hard to remain upbeat after the market devastation on the major stock exchanges in the past couple of days. Billions of dollars have been wiped off the world markets, mostly on fears of government debt defaults. This obviously creates some uncertainty at all levels of the economy and potentially dampens demand for forklifts which was slowly recovering. Planning folk at the forklift manufacturers have their work cut out because not only are they dealing with volatility, they are also flying blind since there’s a delay before they hear about the possible impacts on their customers. Ironically, the financial troubles come as many major companies report positive trends, but that optimism may not be enough to overcome the stock crashes.

Record response to workplace safety awardsAustralasia NewsAdelaide, South Australia A record 80 nominations have been received for this year’s Safe Work Awards in South Australia.
“This response shows just how seriously South Australian workplaces regard their safety performance,... [more]

Port Botany expansion nears completionAustralasia NewsSydney, New South Wales The $1 billion Port Botany container terminal expansion is just months from completion, with operator Hutchison Port Holdings (HPH) about to start operator works and the first berths expected to... [more]

Leighton secures major freight contractAustralasia NewsSydney, New South Wales Construction giant Leighton Contractors, in alliance with Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC), has been selected to deliver the final stage of the Southern Sydney Freight Line (SSFL) in a contract... [more]

Global News

FROM THE FORKLIFTACTION.COM EDITORIAL TEAM

Sales figures show UK market continues recoveryUNITED KINGDOM The UK industrial truck market continues to recover for the third consecutive reporting period since January 2010, according to sales data released by the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA).... [more]

Cargotec sues SweFrame in IP disputeSWEDEN Cargotec has filed a lawsuit in Sweden against SweFrame Port Equipment AB, claiming damages for the alleged theft and use of Bromma Conquip’s sensitive product information.
Cargotec said in... [more]

Movers & ShakersHamburg, Germany
The KION Group GmbH supervisory board has appointed Klaus Hofer as an executive board member. Hofer will be responsible for the human resources, legal and internal audit functions... [more]

Industry profile: Don LandollUNITED STATES The following magazine tribute characterises a business entrepreneur with a portion of his focus on the forklift industry:
“Maybe the best way to describe what Don Landoll has built is... [more]

Ningbo Ruyi is Exhibiting at MOVIMAT 2011Ningbo Ruyi will attend at MOVIMAT 2011. The trade show, which will be held in Sao Paulo, Brazil between the 2nd and 5th of August, will cover logistics, materials handling, warehousing, transportation and packaging. [more]